The Pattern of Uveitis In An African Tertiary Eye Care Centre.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of presentation of uveitis at the Guinness Eye Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The case files of all patients with the diagnosis of uveitis who presented at the center from January 2006 to December 2010 were reviewed. Data on age, sex, ethnicity, symptoms, duration of symptoms before presentation, eye affected, anatomical type of uveitis and clinical type of uveitis were extracted onto a form for analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 68 cases of uveitis were reviewed. There were 38(60.3%) males and 25 (39.7%) females. The range was from 12 to 90 years. The peak incidence occurred within the age range 21-40 years inclusive. Anterior uveitis and posterior uveitis occurred in 34(54.0%) and 17(27%) patients respectively. While reduction in vision was reported as a symptom by 54(85.7%) patients, only 41(65.1%) patients presented within 4 weeks of onset of symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Anterior uveitis was the most common clinical type in this study. The highest incidence of uveitis occurred in the third and fourth decades of life.